The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1887-09-01
The Career Of an EHterpFising Youth
Who Saaght a Home in the
Wild and Woolly West
Eighteen Tears agO.
Let e 90 on Record Both rs a Tribute
% Pluck and Energy, and a. a
Sample uf What Is Possible %
BE- Accomplished in This
Western World.
rrusA :. Stranger Than Fls,lon.

AAAAAE - Win AAAN HNAAAAN - NAAA-~a -
The same time 10 give proper credi
60 the men who have grown up will
her. and In \ measure helped 10 max
her what she is-the best, largest
and prettiest city in Central Kansas
In ISIS, among the young men VIII
we're seeking locations IN the west =
towns in which To grow up with
youth Of eighteen summers, will
si3 in mooney la the pockets Of hii
jeans. stopped al Salina, then, n,
old settlers will remember. a very
small town. He came from Nor
walk, Ohio, and mis- name was +. W
Olper. After looking around for q
short time, be- accepted position as
clerk ia the store uf :. Amrine, who
Was "a that time ia thu general nier
chandising business, and also hold
ing the postum Of county treasurer.
He filled this position well for nearly
year, hut his restless disposition
yearned for a more stirring Occupa-
ton, and hr embarked in the butcher
business on santa Re avenue, some
whereas near the present location Of
the Graf building. He sold choice.
Texas cattle steaks with such sue
cess that he retired with $50 cash
en- hand 81 the expiration Of four
months He then clerked for &. W
Tressin, an the hardware business
several months, but thinking a
boom Wa about 90 strike the town,
he embarked in the real estate bust
ness. 10 went first rate for a few
weeks, but unfortunately grass
hopPers and drOuths visited the
country instead Of the boom, and for
four months this enterprising youth
sat in his office without taking Ia
one cent. This wa uldn't do, 20 he
accepted a position with J. NJ. a
B. l.. Wilson, who were then In the
general merchandising business in
the old Powers building that stood
On the corner where the opera house
now stands. This position he held
81 81 so yearluntil 1871, when he
concluded that he would start in
business for himself, and arcOrdingl,
rented the old frame store that
stood on the present site Of the south
portion 81 the Grand Central hotel
He put in a stock Of boots, shoes,
and clothing, buying most Of it on
time-fOr even AT that early age he
had established a reputation In the
business world a. possessing the
necessary qualities that successful
business men are made Of. Aud %
was also in the year 1871, that he
made the most sensible move Of his
life-snd that was t. select a partner
for life-in the person Of Matilda
Jeffies. We will not now speak Of
his family relations, only that they
are the most pleasant, having a
handsome house, with seven children
90 brighten the path Of life.
A few years elapsed In which
reasonable amount of success had
followed the efforts Of Mr.. Ober I'm IA
business way, when p. q. Bond
bought = halfinterest i'm the business,
che firm being known IS Ober a
Bond. In 1874, they bought the
stock Of general merchandise be-
longing TO Ilamlin & Woolley, that
was In the old stone corner, at the
junction Of Santa Fe and Iron ave
49,, .,s,H ...,,-.N Tat, fhf., fnruar
A series of firm changes occurred
In the intervening years. Starting
first a. +. w. Ober, then Ober a
Bond, then Ober, Bond q Co, Mr..
WOOlley being the silent partner.
The firm then bought out Mr.. Wool
ley's interests, and consolidated
with the Wilson Bros, the style Of
the firm being Ober, Bond 4 Wilson.
Bond then sold out, and il remained
a. Ober & Wilson. Then MIR. Whit
redge bought an interest, and Ober.
Wilson 4 60. was the style Of the
arm. Mr.. lIageman then bought
cat the Wilson Bros. interest, when
q WAS known a. Ober, Hageman q
Whittredge. Then MIR Whittredge
sold, aud for several years the firm
did a splendid business under
the name Of Ober n Hageman-
this being by far the strongest
combination that had yet been
81 the head Of this business that had
started 80 insignificantly, but by a
constant aud healthy growth was
assuming immense proportions.
About three years ago Mr. Hage-
man, having no taste or desire 10 be
actively engaged i'm business retired
from the firm, leaving the original
founder again alene al the head.
Since that time Mr.. ObeF has been
running two well-stOcked stores
One of dry goods and groceries, the
other Of clothing and gents furnish
ing goods. To give the reader some
idea Of the business done by this
6rm last year, we will say that his
retail sales amounted to SIS, 900. On
che first Of August, the close Of the
MS ela UANMAllr " AAAS NAHAAANrH y NNA
his sales we're 20 per cent. ahead Of
last year, showing that this year will
greatly distance any former effort.
ON the 18th Of September Mr.. Ober
will occupy the handsome MoseT
bailding, and last night started east
8alay in ais stocks. In this building
Be will run dry goods, millinery
caErets, ladies and ehildrens shoes,
curtains Of every variety, and up
helstered goods, and In connection
Wish d will run a first-class dress
I. EaakIng establishment. At the same
1 fiile he will continue his clothing
Business at its present location, but
- the corner store will run groceries
. .r8d qaeensware, fruits and vegeta-
hles, oysters in their season, and q
large wholesale and retail cigar bust.
ness. In the upstairs and cellar Of
she two corner stores, he will run
wholesale groceries, making two
rooms 100 feet square devoted to the
wholesale trade. He will rut a mar